"Mr Dawson will step down in September 2015 after 16 years leading the body which organises the Open Championship and governs the sport worldwide in conjunction with the United States Golf Association," read the statement.

"Having succeeded Sir Michael Bonallack as secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1999, Mr Dawson took over in an important period in the club's history. In 2004, the same year that the club celebrated its 250th anniversary, the private members' club formed a separate group of companies to run the Open and conduct its governance responsibilities. This evolution enabled the R&A to focus on its governance role, running successful championships and supporting the growth of the game around the world and the club to concentrate on catering for the needs of its more than 2,000 members."

By the time of his retirement, Dawson may have overseen the admittance of women members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for the first time, 260 years after it was founded.

Speaking last month, Dawson said the club believes it has "strong support" for a vote on September 18 to allow women members, although he insisted the move was not intended to place pressure on male-only clubs which are currently on the rota of Open Championship venues.

He was keen to play down his personal role in the move, adding: "We don't do personal stuff at the R&A. I think the general committee had a very full discussion about it on several occasions and obviously as secretary I am party to these discussions and prepare papers for it and so on. But I wouldn't say my role was pivotal. I am more than happy with the decision."

Dawson became the joint secretary of the International Golf Federation in 1999 and was a key figure in securing golf's return to the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. He was appointed president of the IGF in 2010 and the IGF board has extended his term of office to 2016.

The recruitment of his successor will be handled by the international executive search firm Spencer Stuart and the position will be advertised this weekend. An appointment is expected to be made in sufficient time to allow for an appropriate handover period in 2015.